Welcome to Tintignac-Naves archeological site
What is Tintignac-Naves ?
Tintignac-Naves archeological site is located next to Tulle, in Corrèze department. It is a major site for understanding the Gauls and Celts' way of living and their religion. Thanks to the objects found in Tintignac, the historians can now give an interpretation of the sacrificial rituals of the weapons to the gods and it is considered by the scientists as one of the main site for celtic studies in Europe with the presence of unique objects in the world such as the "carnyx". The superposition of the gallic and of the gallo-roman culture after the Gaul conquest in 52 B.C is very interesting to understand how the Gauls were assimilated into the Roman Empire by keeping some parts of their way of living while taking some from the Romans.
What are the buildings in Tintignac ?
At the gallic time, a wooden temple was built and was surrounded by a palisade. The ceremonies of sacrifices and feasts where located in the yard of the temple. But when the Romans conquered Gaul, the temple was destroyed and leaved room for a fanum, a gallo-roman temple, componed of two cellae. A portico and another temple, maybe a pantheon also dedicated to an emperor, were built at the middle of the IInd century A.D. The theater, where 2500 persons could take place, was built at the beginning of the IIIrd century A.D. We know at least 3 other buildings around the 4 well-known but no one of them was ever excavated. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funds, the buildings which were unearthed have been buried to prevent them from the damage of time if they weren't treated. Only the cellae of the fanum are uncovered now and protected by a pavilion.
Tintignac during its apogee at the IIIrd century
(Drawing : Philippe Marcillac-Jouvenel)
What did we found in Tintignac-Naves ?
The first amateur archaeologists started excavations during the 1840's and found several gaulish and roman coins as other little objects. A plan was drawn in the 1880's to indicate the localization of four buildings : a fanum, a portico, a theater and a temple. But Tintignac-Naves was forgotten by the scientists during 117 years ...
In 2001, an archeologist team led by Christophe Maniquet (INRAP) started to excavate the fanum whose walls were still out of the ground. In 2003, they uncovered a half of the semicircular building considered as a temple. The biggest archeological discover was made in 2004 while the team was working in the fanum's yard. They unearthed a gallic temple which was destroyed to leave room for the gallo-roman fanum. Next to that gallic temple, they found a pit where laid several destroyed objects. Among them, two helmets, one with the shape of a bird and another one with 3 rings stacked. But the most impressive discover was the two "carnyces", gallic war trumpets of the size of an human, one with a boar head and the other one with a snake head. These objects are unique in the whole celtic world even if they were often described by classical authors as a way to terrify the enemy before the battle thanks to the husky noise they do. Unfortunately, the real helmets and carnyx cannot be seen in Tintignac-Naves yet.
The boar-head carnyx found in Tintignac-Naves (Credits : Claude Valette)
Visit us !
You can come to Tintignac-Naves archeological site and visit it. The opening hours are :
In June and in September
Open from Tuesday to Saturday
1.30 p.m to 6.30 p.m
In July and in August
Open everyday of the week
10 a.m to 12 a.m and 1.30 p.m to 6.30 p.m
Guided tours at 10.15 a.m and 2, 3.30 and 5 p.m
Groups can visit Tintignac-Naves archeological site between September and May if they reserve before by email at tintignac.association@gmail.com or by phone at 05.55.26.21.70
Ticket : 3 € / Free for children under 16 / Groups : 2 € per person